Quantum Arithmetic Circuits: A Survey

Quantum circuits for elementary arithmetic operations are important not only for implementing Shor's factoring algorithm on a quantum computer but also for understanding the computational power of small quantum circuits, such as linear-size or logarithmic-depth quantum circuits. This paper surveys some recent approaches to constructing efficient quantum circuits for elementary arithmetic operations and their applications to Shor's factoring algorithm. It covers addition, comparison, and the quantum Fourier transform used for addition.